Cutlery.



A. KOTYNSKI.

CUTLERY.

APPLICATION FILED J AN.8, 1916.

Patented Apr 25, 1916.

Qftocnmq THE COLUMBIA FLANOORAPH co.. WASHINGTON, n c.

ANASTAZY KOTYNSKI, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

CUTLERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1%16.

Application filed January 8, 1916. Serial No. 71,044.

To all to ham it may concern.

Be it known that I, ANASTAZY Ko'rynsni, a subject of the Czar of Russia, having taken out first papers of naturalization of the United States, of Valparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cutlery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cutlery and more particularly to improvements in can openers.

It is the object of this invention to provide a can opener having two adjustably pivoted arms with the pivot pin adapted to pierce the center of the can top and a pin carried upon one of the pivoted arms adapted to pierce the can top adjacent its edge to anchor that arm and allow a knife carried upon the other arm to be rotated about the pivot point to make a clean circular cut in the top of the can adjacent its edge.

The advantages of this device are obvious, and, in addition to the clean circular out without the operators hand touching the can, the adjustable feature automatically centers the pivot pin irrespective of the size of the can.

While the preferred form of this invention is illustrated upon the accompanying sheet of drawing, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of this improved can opener showing in full lines the arms extended about to engage a can, with the parts shown in dotted lines in the position assumed after being automatically centered and a can engaged. Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing in full lines this can opener after having been centered, with the positions of the knife carrying arm, shown in dotted lines, at the beginning and end of the cutting operation. Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a position of this can opener during the cutting operation with the can shown in section.

This improved can opener comprises two arms 1 and 2, one of which is provided with a horizontal longitudinal recess 3 for receiving and guiding a projection 4- of similar dimension extending from the other arm, the oppositeends of each arm being extended to form handles 5 and 6. The extremities of the recessed and projecting ends are each provided with similar elongated, vertical, longitudinal slots 7 and 8. Apivot having an enlarged head 9 upon the upper end and an elongated pointed pin 1.0 depending from the under side is mounted to travel. in the slots 7 and 8 of the two arms. A pinion 11 is secured to the pivot portion traveling in the slots and engages racks 12 and 13 upon the body portions of each arm formed by serrating the opposite sides of the respective slots 7 and 8, whereby the pivot will be caused to travel in the slots upon the arms being advanced to or withdrawn from each other in the same straight line and maintain the same equidistant relation to the adjacent ends of the slots in the respective arms.

Upon the under side of each arm equidistant from the slotted end a can body engaging means is provided, preferably in the form of an abutment 14: on one arm and a roller 1.5 upon. the other. An anchor in the form of a pin 16 and a knife 17 are secured to the under side of the respective arms a sufficient distance upon the inner side of the can body engaging means to be able to pierce the can top. The abutment 14c and roller 15 extend below the points of the anchor pin 16 and knife 17 with the pin 10 of the pivot terminated intermediate therebetween. The roller is preferably upon the side of the knife.

To open a can with this opener, the handles are grasped, preferably positioning them in the same straight line, and withdrawn from each other sufliciently so that upon advancing them toward each other the can body will be engaged upon opposite sides by the abutment and roller, which movement will. mechanically and automatically move the pivot pin to the center of the can cap or top irrespective of the size of the can. The head of the pivot pin is then given a tap or push with the hand or with some instrument suflicient to cause its point to pierce the can top. The handles are then brought together, with. the cutting edge of the knife outward, if the knife is not double edged, as shown in the upper dotted line position on Fig. 2. The pivot head is given another tap sufiicient to cause the anchor pin and knife to pierce the can top. The anchor pin will hold its arm to the can so that the knife arm can be rotated away therefrom making a circular cut in the can top until it abuts the opposite side of the anchor arm, as shown in the lower dotted line position on Fig. 2, when the can opener is removed.

Should the operator fail to engage the can body at points that are not diametrically opposite each other, the pivot pin 10 will pierce the can top centrally therebetween but not at the center of the can top and, therefore, when the cutting operation begins, the handle 5 being firmly attached to the can by the abutment 14, I the anchor pin 16, and the pivot pin 10, if distance between the knife 17 and the pivot pin 10 remains constant, the knife will bind and engage the interior of the can body or the roller will bind or engage the outside of the can body and prevent the rotation of the knife. To avoid this, the knife 17 and roller 15 are mounted upon a slide 18 adapted to be reciprocated in an under-cut groove 19 in the under side of the arm 2 and handle 6, whereby, should such a binding or engagement, as above described, take place, the slide will be moved from its normal position to compensate for the off centering of the pivot pin and allow the cutting'operation to continue. The normal position of the slide 18 is such I that the abutment 14: on the handle 5 and roller 15 on handle are equidistant from the pivot pin 10 and such position can be in- Gopies of'this patent may "be obtained for five cents each,

dicated by a mark or symbol 20 upon the side or bottom of the arm 2 and slide'lS.

hat I claim is 1. A can opener comprising pivoted arms, equidistant can body engaging members upon each arm, can top piercing members upon each arm, a can top piercing member upon the pivot, the pivoted ends of the arms having longitudinal slots, the pivot mounted to travel in said slots, and means to maintain the pivot equidistant from the can engaging members upon movement of he arms to and from each other, comprising a pinion upon the pivot and racks upon the opposite sides of the respective slots.

2. A can opener comprising pivoted arms, a can body engaging abutment and a can top piercing anchor pin upon one arm, a slide mounted to move in a groove provided therefor in the other arm and a knife and roller extending from said slide, a can top piercing member upon the pivot, the pivoted ends of the arms having longitudinal slots, the pivot mounted to travel in said slots, and means to maintain the pivot equidistant from the can engaging abutment and the normal position of the roller upon movement of the arms to and from each other comprising a pinion upon the pivot and racks upon the opposite sides of the respective slots.

ANASTAZY KOTYNSKT. 1V itnesses E. V. AGAR, A. R. HARDESTY.

by addressing the Commissioner of l'atents,

Washington, D. C. 

